Combination mask-closure cap



June 2, 1970 c. J. LA MORGESE COMBINATION MASK-CLOSURE CAP Filed Jan. 5. 1968 FIG.2.

FIG.3.

FIG.I.

FIG.6.

INVENTOR} Curl Lo Morg'ese FIG.4.

United States Patent 3,515,154 COMBINATION MASK-CLOSURE CAP Carl J. La Morgese, 146 Ketay Drive, East Northport, NY. 11731 Filed Jan. 3, 1968, Ser. No. 695,422 Int. Cl. A45d 29/11 US. Cl. 13288.5 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A closure cap for an aerosol spray can containing fingernail polish is provided, the closure cap having at least one fingernail opening projecting therethrough and an internal flexible flange depending from the inner top of the cap. The opening through the cap serves as a shield so that the application of the fingernail polish from the spray dispenser will coat only the fingernail which projects through the opening, while the internal downwardly projecting flange supports the finger as the nail projects through the opening. The cap is made of a flexible plastic, preferably a polyolefin, such as polyethylene, to which the fingernail polish will not adhere so that after spraying the cap may be cleaned by merely peeling the polish therefrom.

The present invention relates to a combination closure cap and fingernail mask and, more particularly, to a device which serves the dual purpose of providing a cover for an aerosol spray can of fingernail treating material and as a shield for preventing contact of the treating liquid with the finger when the treating liquid is sprayed at the nail.

The growth of aerosol spray cans for various purposes has been immense in recent years. One area of this phenomenal growth has been in the area of cosmetic preparations including spray perfumes, spray air preparations, etc. The paint industry has also made great use of aerosol spray cans. It would seem only natural then that fingernail polish in particular, and fingernail treating liquids in general, would be dispensed by aerosol spray cans. However, the problem has existed that sprays from aerosol cans cannot be easily controlled and the application of fingernail polish from a spray can has resulted in not only the coating of the fingernail itself with polish but also a large part of the finger; this renders the material in aerosol spray cans highly undesirable and unsalable.

Fingernail shields are known and have been proposed as aids in the application of fingernail polish by conventional procedures. Further, it has even been proposed to supply such shields or stencils along with an aerosol dispenser for fingernail treating liquids, noting the patent to Blann No. 2,722,224. The concept proposed in the Blann patent has not met with commercial success, however, because of the relative complexity of the Blann device which renders the aerosol package bulky and more expensive than desirable.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to obviate the deficiencies of the prior art, such as indicated above.

It is another object of the present invention to permit the simplified provision of a shield for the fingernail for the application of fingernail treating liquids from an aerosol spray container.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination closure cap for an aerosol container which further serves as a shield for the finger during the application of the fingernail treating liquid to the fingernail.

It is another object of the present invention to permit the spraying of fingernail polish or other fingernail treating liquid onto the nail and to protect the other portions of the finger from becoming coated with the polish or other treating liquid.

These and other objects in the nature and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the present invention serving as a cap for an aerosol spray can;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the closure cap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the closure cap of FIGS. 1 and 2 being used as a shield;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the shield of FIGS. 1-3 during use in the application of a fingernail treating liquid;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view, partly broken away in section, showing the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6.

An aerosol spray can 10 is shown in the drawings, such spray can 10 containing fingernail polish or other suitable fingernail treating liquid, such as fingernail hardener. The aerosol spray can is provided with a suitable valve structure 12 in accordance with known practice. In general, the contents of the aerosol spray can are maintained therein under pressure by means of a pressurized gas or a highly volatile liquid under high pressure, and are released in a fine spray 14 upon depression of the valve 12 as shown in FIG. 4.

In accordance with the present invention, a removable closure cap 16 is provided for the aerosol spray can 10. When removed from the can, the closure cap 16 serves as a shield to prevent the polish or other treating liquid from contacting the finger when the mist 14 is applied to the nail as shown in FIG. 4.

The preferred embodiment of the closure cap 16 takes the form of a generally cup-shaped hollow body portion 18 ending at the bottom thereof in a peripheral neck portion 20 which is adapted to sit on the upper neck portion 22 of the spray container 10 as ShOWn in FIG. 1 and surround the spray nozzle 12 of the spray can 10 therewithin as shown in phantom in FIG. 1. The closure cap 16 is preferably provided with an annular gripping portion 24 which has a knurled surface to permit easy removal of the closure cap from the container 10.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. l-4, a plurality of fingernail shield portions 26 are provided spaced peripherally about the body portion 18 as illustrated. Each of these fingernail shield portions 26 comprise an opening 28, of the approximate size of a fingernail, extending through the wall thickness of the cap 16. In the preferred construction, the opening 28 is larger on the outside of the cap 16 than on the inside and this construction is obtained by providing a bevel 30 through the wall thickness of the body portion 18 as best illustrated in FIG. 3. The beveled edge 30 surrounding each fingernail opening 28 facilitates the obtention of a fine and distinct edge to the area sprayed as schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It is also preferable that each fingernail shield portion 26 comprise a recessed area or a depression 32 in the outer surface of the body portion 18 lying directly above the fingernail hole 28. Instead of being a separate and distinct depression 32 as shown in FIG. 3, the depression may comprises simply a continuation of the bevel 30 such as shown at 32 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Although four fingernail shield portions 26 are shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, it will be understood that various numbers of such openings may be provided, although three to five shield shield portions 26 will usually be provided. While such shields 26 may all be of the same size, it is preferable that each of the three or more openings 28 be of different sizes in order to accommodate fingernails of different sizes.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of a flexible and resilient internal flange 34 extending downwardly from the inner surface of the top of the body portion 18 within the closure cap 16. Such flange 34 cooperates with the fingernail openings 28- in the sense that it lies behind each of the fingernail openings and is generally spaced a distance therefrom which is approximately equal to the thickness of a finger. When a finger 36 is thrust or jammed into the cap 16 with the fingernail 38 projecting through the opening 28 as illustrated in FIG. 3, the flexible flange 34 will bend as illustrated and will serve to relatively tightly and resiliently support the finger 36 in proper position against the inner surface of the cap 16. In the preferred embodiment, the flange 34 takes the form of a generally cylindrical rod which is located along the central axis of the body portion 18.

It is a highly desirable feature of the invention that the closure cap shield 16 be made of a single unitary material which has a relatively non-stick surface and yet which is realtively flexible and resilient. The unitary construction provides for simplified and inexpensive construction, such as by molding. The non-stick surface permits fingernail polish, which has been sprayed thereon during the shielding function, to be readily peeled ofii. The flexible, resilient nature of the material provides for the resiliently yieldable flange 34. The preferred, inexpensive materials which meet these requirements are the polyolefinic plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene, although it should be understood that other materials may be used for the construction of the closure cap 16.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. -7 and comprises a generally cylindrical body portion 48 having only a single fingernail opening 58 the size of which is defined at its upper end by a flexible L- shaped flap 50 which extends first outwardly and then downwardly to the upper end of the fingernail opening 58 from the top of the body portion 48 immediately above the resilient flexible internal flange 54. The L-shaped flap 50 is cut from the body portion 48 along the cutlines 52. As in the above-described preferred embodiment, here the flange 54 is shown as a generally cylindrical rod, although it will be understood that it make take other shapes, particularly in the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7.

In FIG. 7 it is shown in phantom what occurs when the finger is thrust within the body portion 48 and the fingernail placed through the opening 58. As can be seen, the resilient internal flange 54 will flex outwardly similar to the flange 34 in FIG. 3. In addition, since the L-shaped flap 54 is cut from the body portions along the lines 52, the force of the finger urges the L-shaped flap 50 upwardly as shown in phantom.

The flexible nature of the L-shaped flap 50 permits various size fingernails to be accommodated by merely increasing or decreasing the force on the flap through the finger.

-As is obvious from the construction, the cap 16 is used as a shield by simply removing it from the spray can 10, placing the finger in the position shown in FIGS 3 and 4 with the fingernail projecting through the shield opening 28, and spraying the quick drying nail polish on one finger at a time.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification.

What is claimed is:

1. A removable closure cap for an aerosol spray dispenser containing fingernail treating liquid, comprising a generally cup-shaped body portion ending at the bottom thereof in a peripheral neck portion for seating on the upper neck portion of the spray dispenser as a closure cap surrounding the spray nozzle of the dispenser therewithin;

and a fingernail shield portion lying above said periph eral neck portion and comprising an opening defined in said body portion, said opening being the approxi mate size of a fingernail, said shield portion further comprising a flexible and resilient internal flange extending downwardly from the inner surface of the top of said body portion within said .body portion and lying behind said fingernail opening, said flange being spaced from said opening a distance approximately equal to the thickness of a finger said flange being adapted to press against the back portion of a finger 'when the fingernail is adjacent said opening.

2. A closure cap in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cap is formed of flexible polyolefinic plastic.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein said internal flangeis generally in the shape of a cylindrical rod.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said internal flange is located along the central axis of said body portion.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 wherein the edge defining said fingernail opening is beveled outwardly from the inside of said closure cap to provide said opening with a greater area along the outer surface of said body portion and a lesser area along the inner surface of said body portion.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a fingernail tip depression in the outer surface of said body portion above and adjacent to said fingernail opening adapted to receive the fingernail tip.

7. A device in accordance with claim 4 comprising a plurality of said fingernail openings spaced peripherally about said body portion.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cap body portion is generally cylindrical having a generally flat top and wherein said fingernail opening is defined at its upper end by a flexible L-shaped flap extending outwardly and downwardly to the upper end of said fingernail opening from the top of said cap body portion from which said flexible internal flange extends downwardly said flexible flap being adapted to be raised as necessary to accommodate various sizes of nails.

9. A device according to claim 7 wherein said fingernail openings vary in size to accommodate different sizes of nails.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,283,703 5/1942 Stedman l3288.5 2,722,224 11/ 1955 Blann 132-885 2,840,088 6/1958 Kushner 132-885 E. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner G. E. MCNEILL, Assistant Examiner 

